
The Wandering Village is an exceptional Strategy/Simulation that raises the bar for the genre.
90
Verdict
92%
Steam
—
IGDB
Verdict score based on confidence-adjusted Steam reviews?
Very Positive on Steam (92% positive from 8.1K reviews)
Still in Early Access — content may be incomplete
The Wandering Village is a city-building game developed by Stray Fawn Studio, based in Zurich. The game was in development for six years and entered early access on Steam, where it remained for nearly three years. It was released on 17 July 2025, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Runs well on modern hardware.
Updated 5h ago
It's fun and cute at first. It unfortunately does a gaming pet peeve of mine though that made me almost stop playing. It presents a research tree with options of how to go about the game, but then it has quests that must be completed to progress the story that REQUIRE you to choose some of the bad options (abusing the onbu, sacrificing villagers). I would have rather never even researched those. Why create a system that allows me to choose how to play then force me to do everything anyway? Makes the choice pointless. If that sort of thing bothers you, I would not recommend this game. If it doesn't, you'll enjoy it!
PROS + Unique concept of building a village on the back of a giant creature. + Beautiful and charming art style. + Interesting combination of city-building and survival management. + The relationship between the village and Onbu makes the gameplay feel distinctive. + Exploration provides a nice sense of progression. + Relaxing atmosphere despite its survival elements. CONS - Progression can become repetitive over time. - Some management systems feel more tedious than engaging. - Resource management can become overwhelming as the village grows. - Late-game content doesn't feel as strong as the initial concept. - Some systems lack depth and could use more variety. VERDICT The Wandering Village has one of those concepts that immediately makes it stand out. Building and managing a settlement on the back of a giant creature is genuinely charming, and the relationship between the villagers and Onbu gives the game a personality that many city-builders lack. The foundation is great, although the experience doesn't always maintain the same level of novelty and depth throughout. 3.5/5
I have loved this game since it first hit early access on Xbox, then I bought it again for pc because I seriously think this game is so enjoyable.. Its such a beautiful game and well designed. The amount of stuff that's been added and reworked is insane! 10/10, no notes. :)
Reviews sourced from Steam. All reviews belong to their respective authors.
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